In little more than two months after the landings, Allied forces had liberated Paris. By the end of the year, most of France had been liberated and the Allies were at Germany s doorstep. By early 1945, the Allies had successfully breached the Siegfried line of defenses, and had begun the occupation of the Rhur, the industrial heartland of Germany. By May, Nazi forces surrendered, bringing to an end Europe s bloodiest conflict.